When I was training for the military, I went from 185 pounds down to 130 pounds. I had never felt so wonderful in my life. I had more energy, I felt happier, and I looked forward to eating because I felt my body being nourished by the healthy lifestyle I had adapted.
Friends and family constantly asked how I achieved my goal. I want to share my steps to success, because it's important to achieve a personal wellness level that makes you feel great. Here's how I did it without trying any of those fad diets. . .
Schedule your day
It only takes three weeks for you to make or break a habit. To help you stay in track of your goals, write down in a notebook or agenda what you plan to have for your three main meals, your snacks, and what kind of physical activity you plan to do for that day. I got into the habit of eating breakfast when I woke up, exercised about two hours later, ate a snack right after exercising, ate lunch, then a snack, dinner, and either a small dessert if I craved it, or a light snack. I allowed myself to drink a few cups of coffee and one other non-water beverage, such as juice or milk up until lunch time. After lunch, I strictly drank water. Also,
do not eat anything two hours before you go to bed. Your body is trying to wind down when you enter a state of sleep, but your stomach requires more blood flow to digest the content that is left inside of it. Going to bed with food in your belly is very unhealthy.
Mind the food pyramid
You can click on the image above to make it larger for easier viewing.
You need a variety of foods to keep your body at its healthiest state. When you plan out your daily meals, write down how many servings from each food group you have every day. Follow the food pyramid above. After a few weeks of writing down your meal plans, you'll have a good idea of what to eat without having to pre-plan. When dining out or making your own meals, imagine your plate to be divided into four sections. Half of the plate should have vegetables. 1/4th of the plate should contain grains, and the other 1/4th should be your protein. Ideally, you want a lean protein like fish or chicken, and you should keep it at the size of a deck of playing cards. Breakfast is indeed the most important meal of the day. Assure that you have fiber and protein in your breakfast, since that's what will keep you full for longer.
Treat yourself
I ate dessert every single day when I lost weight. The trick is to eat your treats in small amounts. If you want ice cream, have a scoop. Don't fill your bowl full. Have you been craving pizza? Give in and order. But eat a bowl of salad before you dig in. Ordering it with light cheese and extra veggies can make it a healthier choice. Bottom line: if you're craving something "bad," then eat it, just in small portions.
Make simple changes
Small changes can make a huge difference. Substitute regular salad dressings with light versions. Try dropping down to 2% milk instead of whole milk. Eat whole wheat bread instead of white bread. There are tons of swaps you can, and should, make that are healthier choices for you.
Take a look at "Eat This, Not That! Thousands of Simple Food Swaps that Can Save You 10, 20, 30 Pounds--or More!" by David Zinczenko. Click on the text to view the book on Amazon.com.
Mind your drinks
A Venti caramel frappuchino from Starbucks with whipped cream has 510 calories, 50% of your daily saturated fat, 20% of your daily cholesterol, and 81 grams of sugar. A regular-sized Hershey's milk chocolate bar has 24 grams of sugar. That means you could have had 3.4 Hershey's milk chocolate bars in place of that one Starbucks drink. You don't have to get rid of Starbucks altogether, but it should be a treat you have every once in a while. Instead of ordering a Venti caramel frappuchino with whipped cream, opt for the healthier version, the 'skinny' caramel frappuchino which contains a sugar free syrup that has less calories and sugar, no whip cream, and also a drizzle of sugar free caramel. At home, try to cut out soda. Buy the small cans of soda to keep yourself from being tempted to drink the entire larger can. If you drink whole milk, try drinking 2% milk. If you add coffee creamer or half and half to your coffee at home, try adding some milk first so you won't have to use as much creamer. Milk adds a creamier consistency to your coffee, and helps you retain some calcium that coffee takes from your body. Watch out for fruit juices, too. Most brands of juice add sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Me and my husband are big fans of Odwalla or Naked juice. It has 100% juice and no added sugar. I love these with my breakfast, or as a mid-morning drink. Overall, remember to drink tons of water to keep your body hydrated and operating at its best. Add fresh lemon, lime, or cucumber to your water for taste.
Mind your food labels
Take a look at what you're putting into your body. The quantity of ingredients are actually shown in order on the food label. For instance, the ingredients shown on a Blue Machine Naked Juice are as follows: apple juice, banana puree, blueberry puree, fibersol-2 fiber (maltodextrin), blackberry puree, natural flavors, fruit and vegetable juice for color. . . .etc. Since apple juice is the first ingredient on the list, it's the most abundant ingredient found in the juice. Then banana puree, then blueberry puree, etc. You want to stay away from foods that have added sugar, aspartame and Acesulfame-K (sugar substitutes linked to cancer), artificial colors (especially any red food coloring, also linked to some issues like A.D.D.), and any processed additives that you may be allergic to. For desserts, I strongly suggest you use real sugar instead of sugar substitutes, even Splenda, as artificial sweeteners have a bad reputation for hurting your metabolism. There are many research articles that you can find by simply searching Google for more information.
Don't count calories
I don't mean mindless stuff your face and take in 4,000 calories every day, but realize that some of the 'healthy' foods you may think to be beneficial to your body are not. For example, I used to eat Yoplait yogurt every day. I fell in love with their strawberry cheesecake flavor. When I decided to eat healthier, I did some research and learned to look at food labels. There are 170 calories in one cup of Yoplait strawberry cheesecake flavored yogurt, with 11% of your daily carbohydrates and a whopping 26 grams of sugar. Whoa! Learning this information, I went on a hunt to find healthier alternatives that didn't add sugar or contain so many calories. I have been eating Fage 0% yogurt and Chobani 0% yogurt. Both of these brands are Greek strained, so they are thicker and have more protein than your average cup of yogurt. Also, there is no sugar added (avoid Fage's fruit-flavored cups) and they contain all natural ingredients. I never looked at 'health' food the same until I took a peek at the label. Just because it claims to be healthy, doesn't mean it's good for your body! I made a lot of swaps for healthier alternatives that didn't slow me down by consuming extra calories and sugar. Vegetables are always a great route to go down that are nutrient-dense and a very low calorie count. Try eating raw carrots, broccoli and cauliflower and use light ranch as a dipping sauce. You don't need to count your calories every day to figure out how much exercise you need to negate the calories you have consumed, just compare the foods you're eating now to other alternatives. The main idea is to take in foods that will nourish your body. By taking in the proper foods and not over-indulging, exercising, and drinking lots of water, you will notice an improvement in your body. Basic body movements such as blinking, breathing, beating of the heart, and moving your fingers require energy, and therefore burn calories. Do not run out and go grab a Big Mac now that I've told you that, because the amount of calories burned from basic body functions are minuscule. But it's a fun tid-bit to be reminded of. ;)
Mix your exercise up
Switching to healthier food and drinking a lot of water will help you lose weight, but exercise will help get you to your goal faster and will get you toned. When people hear the word "exercise," they cringe and say they don't like working out. Working out doesn't necessarily mean you need to run on a treadmill, or hit the gym and pump iron. Why not buy a rebounder and rebound to some energetic music, or pull some weeds out in the yard? Go swimming, drive up to the mountains and take a scenic walk, dance to some of your favorite songs, play your Wii, try some yoga poses. There are so many other ways to get fit and stay fit other than hitting the gym or running. However, if you want to tone your body, you need to push yourself by doing cardio every other day and doing some sort of low-intensity, but key workout, to your exercise plan in between. While losing weight, you should be doing some sort of routine five to six days a week, for at least one hour a day. Cardio is a great way to both lose weight and get toned, and there are many forms of cardio exercise for you to enjoy. Regardless of the form of exercise you choose, you must incorporate movement to stay fit. When you are on the move, your lymph nodes excrete toxins from your body which help you stay healthy.
Click here for some fun exercise suggestions.
Starving yourself makes you gain weight
When you don't eat, your body reserves fat for you to survive off of. Starving yourself is never the answer in losing, or maintaining, your weight. Try eating several times a day in small portions. As mentioned previously, I found that eating breakfast, a snack, lunch, a snack, dinner, a snack or dessert keeps me full and helped me lose weight, along with daily exercise.
Don't give up!
The most important thing to remember is that you're going to cave in and you're going to eat those extra few cookies that you shouldn't have. Do not beat yourself up over it, and do not say, "I'll start over again tomorrow." No! If you're serious about losing weight, realize that it's a lot of hard work and dedication, and you can't be perfect all the time. In fact, there is no such thing as perfection. If you know you're going to crave candy, cookies, or chips, try putting the serving size in a baggie so you're not tempted to eat more from the container it came in.
Keep me posted on your progress and success stories. You can do it!
